How to Destroy a CD

With identity theft wrecking havoc in people's lives, one can never be too careful when it comes to destroying sensitive data. When destroying a CD, you should make sure that there is no hope of recovering the data and that it is safe and easy to use.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Scissors
• Safety goggles
• Gloves

1. Damage the CD's polycarbonate layer physically by cutting the CD itself into pieces using scissors or a paper cutter.

2. Scratch sector 16 of the disc, which usually contains volume descriptions critical for a driver to read. A disc has approximately 333,000 sectors starting at the center of the disc moving outward. Roughly estimate sector 16 to be close to the center within an eighth of an inch. Take a sharp object and scratch a 1/4-inch line across from the center on both sides of the disc.

3. Destroy the CD by placing the data side down on the sidewalk and rubbing it across under your feet. This will physically damage the pits and lands on the disc.

4. Stack the CDs if you have more than one to destroy and drill them with a big drill bit. The bit will cause the CDs to crack and also peel the silver coating away.
   
   

5. Purchase electronic products like a CD shredder or a disc eraser that uses optical-strip technology to erase data. These are safe to use and very reliable.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are attempting to break the disc by bending it between your fingers, wrap it first in a piece of cloth or newspaper.
• Never microwave a CD. The small amount of metal in the CD will damage the microwave emitter and the by-products could contaminate food that is later cooked in it.